Clerical abuse!

[Main Street]

Let's not forget other independent evidence to support Fr Gallagher's accusations of a church authorised cover-up and persecution of him for whistleblowing, the real vista.

Evidence from - a sainted nun -.
4 weeks after his demotion, while lying in hospital -   heart issue
Gallagher asked Dominican nun Sister Ann Monahan to retrieve files on the Fr Palimattom scandal from his office at the Holy Name of Jesus Christ church.

She managed to do this, but when she returned later, she was stopped by church officials and the keys to the building taken off her.
"I was told to leave. When I protested, I was told 'you're fired'," Sister Monahan (84) said.
"I'm a Dominican and our motto is 'The Truth' and that is all Father John ever did as a priest, tell the truth.
"I've been a nun for 67 years and I felt I was treated badly and Father John was treated very badly indeed. I find it hard to forgive them (the Church) for what happened."
She has now been officially retired.
--------
The catholic church in Florida does have a colourful promiscuous  reputation, with rampant gay sex and "come sit on my lap" invitations to youthful and handsome seminarians by rectors.

In that environment, cover-ups would be stock and trade.
It was an open secret that the vast majority of the Archdiocese's pastors were active homosexuals
In 2011 a loyal conservative Catholic group, Christifidelis,  compiled a report  named "Miami Vice" about widespread and longstanding pattern of homosexual conduct among Miami archdiocesan leaders. Archbishop Favalora, was accused  of running the Miami Archdiocese like some sort of gay sex mafia.
St. John Vianney College Seminary, located in Southwest Dade, "a kind of gay Hogwarts with palm trees" that has a long history of gay sex scandals and hookups between horny young students
the report can be read here in jpg format.
http://gawker.com/5825254/the-catholic-churchs-secret-gay-cabal

[Main Street]

Minnesota July 15 2014
Church lawyer details cover-up claims on sex abuse

A canon lawyer alleging a widespread cover-up of clergy sex misconduct in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis has made her most detailed claims yet, accusing archbishops and their top staff of lying to the public and of ignoring the U.S. bishops' pledge to have no tolerance of priests who abuse.

Affidavit-of-Jennifer-Haselberger

[No wides]

Minnesota July 15 2014
Church lawyer details cover-up claims on sex abuse

A canon lawyer alleging a widespread cover-up of clergy sex misconduct in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis has made her most detailed claims yet, accusing archbishops and their top staff of lying to the public and of ignoring the U.S. bishops' pledge to have no tolerance of priests who abuse.

Affidavit-of-Jennifer-Haselberger

Yawn,I have no desire to stay with Britain,but like the rest of you I am stuck here,primarily due to the fact that the 26 counties and its people do not want unity,therefore I am willing to think outside the box in order to make the best out of constitutional reality.

There is no way anyone with half a brain cell,in the Catholic Church,even if they were so inclined out of some sense of misguided devotion,would even contemplate trying to cover up child abuse.

Must be lies!

[Main Street]

Tony accuses many in the church hierarchy of having less than one half a brain cell.

[T Fearon]

Oh dear.It is amazing what disgruntled employees will do.They even claim that a major broadcasting company had a bias against Catholics,who anonymously post criticism, while employed by them,online,not too far from home

[Main Street]

Oh dear.It is amazing what disgruntled employees will do.They even claim that a major broadcasting company had a bias against Catholics,who anonymously post criticism, while employed by them,online,not too far from home

Oh dear Tony, yet again you have fallen hook line and sinker, both feet in a mire of your own making.   When will you ever realise the folly of supporting the continued enabling of child molestation. Your "appalling vista" and the "Nuremberg defense"  just don't convince anybody.

One year after Jennifer's  unimpeachable affadavit was published
Archbishop Nienstedt resigns after Twin Cities archdiocese charged with failing children.
National catholic reporter
http://ncronline.org/news/vatican/archbishop-nienstedt-resigns-week-after-diocese-charged-failing-children


'Catholic Church cannot be trusted', court orders
http://ncronline.org/news/accountability/settlement-reached-st-paul-minneapolisarchdiocese-civil-case
Settlement reached in St. Paul-Minneapolis archdiocese civil case

The agreement gives local authorities oversight for three years of archdiocesan procedures aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse.

[No wides]

There is no way anyone with half a brain cell,in the Catholic Church,even if they were so inclined out of some sense of misguided devotion,would even contemplate trying to cover up child abuse.

All lies main street!!

[T Fearon]

As far as I can see these are audits to ensure compliance,which all organisations face at one time or another.That is a million miles away from not reporting child abuse and a billion miles away from facilitating it,as the array of anti Catholics on this board outrageously allege.

The Church should welcome and encourage independent audits,which as far as I can see they do.

[Main Street]

As far as I can see these are audits to ensure compliance,which all organisations face at one time or another.That is a million miles away from not reporting child abuse and a billion miles away from facilitating it,as the array of anti Catholics on this board outrageously allege.

The Church should welcome and encourage independent audits,which as far as I can see they do.

The point is Tony, the Church miserably failed the audit (as you call it), others would call it a fully fledged investigation, complete with court tested evidence and the matter deemed to be proven beyond doubt that the church failed the "audit".
They failed it so bad that  they were ordered to be supervised for 3 years. and the archbishop had to resign.
The church. as an institution was deemed too incompetent and corrupt  to monitor itself in 2015
They were found by the court not to have  reported  child abuse and they deliberately left children to be abused or/and at risk of abuse  by known pedophiles.


So when you write,  "the Church should welcome and encourage independent audits",  I understand that to mean that  that the Minnesota church should not have tied the court up in knots for a year denying the findings of an independent audit, should not have denied that they were criminally responsible,  and resisting  the inevitable lengthy court supervision??

or is it possible that you do not accept the Minnesota court findings, that  you deny the criminal  actions by  Minnesota catholic church over a 3 year period 2011 2012 2013,  that you deny they failed to implement basic child abuse safety measures, that you deny they sought to pervert the course of justice by protecting known pedophiles and knowingly put children at risk of being abused by these pedophiles?

[omaghjoe]

This is/was a serious blight on the church and the measures that have been put in place need to work

So as far as our two esteemed posters goes...

Main St... Do you believe that the church is improving its child protection measures or do you think that it is destined to be be a haven for pedophiles no matter what it it does because of its past? Also your wrong about Administrator usually becoming a pastor/PP, I don't know the stats on it so can only speak from experience but I've been in 3 different parishes where an administrator was appointed and ended up with a different pastor/PP. However I would agree that would at least appear to be a demotion, although on paper it actually isnt, and it happens to curates/vicars pretty regular.

Tony... Would you be blindly defending the church if these measures where shown not to work, anyway? Honestly? Also shouldn't the church be open to criticism of their child protection measures so that they can be tweaked and ensure that no child is ever in danger while in the care of the church ever again?

[T Fearon]

1.Failure to implement procedures is incompetent and negligent,but not a sign of malice.

2.I agree that the church,in every part of the world should implement all statutory procedures and more of its own,to prevent child abuse and facilitate the identification of all potential child abusers and have them drummed out.

[Main Street]

1.Failure to implement procedures is incompetent and negligent,but not a sign of malice.

You deny it is malicious,  when failure to implement  procedures is not just a sign of malice , it is a criminal act of malice. And it is an indisputable criminal act when the court finds against the church after thoroughly examining it's failure to implement procedures, knowingly leaving children at risk to being abused  by pedophiles.

You have  poured scorn and ridicule on the 82 year old nun whose evidence supported Gallagher, you have poured scorn and ridicule on Jennifer Haselberger, the canon lawyer for the church, whose accusation were later totally vindicated in the courts. And now you still  deny her evidence and now also deny  the court judgement. You vehemently deny all  actions that society has on its side  to protect children from pedophiles.
You deny the witnesses, the evidence, the prosecution and  the court judgements.

Your actions here are evidence  that you have no issue with pedophiles, as the enabling of that particular abuse does not really bother you in the slightest and you are screaming to let priests who enable pedophiles to abuse, not have any comebacks in the slightest.
You are in fact enabling pedophilia.

2.I agree that the church,in every part of the world should implement all statutory procedures and more of its own,to prevent child abuse and facilitate the identification of all potential child abusers and have them drummed out.

Utter hypocrisy.

[T Fearon]

You are only too willing to see paedophilia everywhere as far as the Catholic Church is concerned.The fact is non implementation of procedures is stupid,careless and grossly negligent,but not in itself evidence of malice.

I don't believe anyone is misguidedly trying to cover up child abuse in the church today,and if there is evidence to convict anyone of such,by all means let the authorities investigate and bring to court anyone against whom strong evidence is found.

[give her dixie]

Yet another disgusting episode of child abuse by priests and cover up by the Bishops.

Pennsylvania Diocese Leaders Knew of Sex Abuse for Decades, Grand Jury Says

Over four decades, at least 50 priests and other church employees molested hundreds of children in a small Roman Catholic diocese in central Pennsylvania, and in many cases their superiors knew of the abuses but did not remove the priests or notify law enforcement, according to a grand jury report released on Tuesday.

But none of the findings will result in prosecution, according to State Attorney General Kathleen G. Kane, whose office led the investigation, because the statutes of limitations on all alleged crimes have expired.

The report names a dozen priests who admitted — to church officials, to the grand jury or both — that they had molested children, and other cases where church records made clear that their superiors believed they were guilty. None were taken to law enforcement, and in cases where police or prosecutors learned of allegations, the report says, church officials worked to hush them up.

"They placed their desire to avoid public scandal over the well-being of innocent children," the report says.

The Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown is only the most recent to be the target of an investigation and a report by a grand jury or attorney general for shielding priests who abused children. But the numbers it cites are striking for a diocese that claims fewer than 100,000 Catholics.

There have been public allegations in the past against some of the priests named in the report, including the Rev. Joseph D. Maurizio Jr., who is to be sentenced on Wednesday in a case that drew international attention. Father Maurizio, who raised money for an orphanage in Honduras, was convicted in federal court in September of sexually abusing boys at the orphanage, money laundering and possessing child pornography.

Bishop Joseph Adamec, former leader of the diocese, learned of allegations against Father Maurizio in 2009, according to the grand jury report and the charity that sponsored the orphanage. But Bishop Adamec and his successor, Bishop Mark L. Bartchak, kept Father Maurizio on as pastor at a church in Central City, Pa., until shortly before his arrest in 2014.

Given that record, Anne Barrett Doyle, co-director of BishopAccountability.org, said she was puzzled that the grand jury report did not hold Bishop Bartchak accountable, as well.

In a statement, the diocese said it had "cooperated fully with authorities throughout the investigation, and will continue to do so."

The report offers a scathing picture of Bishop James Hogan, who led the diocese from 1966 to 1986, and died in 2005, as a leader who repeatedly persuaded the police and prosecutors to drop criminal cases against priests, failed to discipline people he knew were abusers, and responded to complaints about predatory priests by relocating them to jobs where they could molest again.

It contains serious, but less harsh, criticism of his successor, Bishop Adamec, who retired in 2011 but retains his title. It cites a few priests who were allowed to continue ministry for years after the diocese learned of allegations against them, including three who remain active priests, and notes that the diocese turned none of the priests in to the police or prosecutors.

The records indicate that with over half the priests, the diocese did not learn of alleged abuse until decades had passed, when no legal action was possible.

The bishop's lawyer, David Berardinelli, released a response describing the grand jury report as one-sided and unfair. It notes that unlike his predecessors, Bishop Adamec frequently suspended accused pedophile priests, often soon after learning of the allegations, and asked the church hierarchy to defrock them. Those he allowed to remain in active ministry have had "no new allegation of abuse of a minor" since then.

Pope Francis called last year for the Vatican to create a tribunal on judging bishops accused of negligence, but the Vatican has yet to do so. Last month, Francis said in a news conference that bishops who kept abusive priests in ministry should resign.

The report names 35 priests, most of them now dead, who have been accused of child molestation, and cites other abusers who are not named. The information is based mostly on documents taken from diocesan offices in 2014 under a search warrant.

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/02/us/pennsylvania-diocese-leaders-knew-of-sex-abuse-for-decades-grand-jury-says.html?smid=fb-nytimes&smtyp=cur&_r=0

[muppet]

CLERICAL CHILD SEX ABUSE: Diocese By Diocese

Added on October 29, 2005
abuse.jpg

Achonry

Three priests have had allegations of child sexual abuse made against them. None has been convicted of such offences. One is dead; the other two are retired and neither of them is involved in ministry in the diocese.

Ardagh & Clonmacnois

Complaints against five priests have been received since 1950. All five are deceased.

Armagh

Allegations of child sex abuse have been made against eight priests. The allegations date back to the 1950s and some of those accused are now dead. The archdiocese said that no priest against whom there was concern relating to child protection was still in active ministry.

Cashel & Emly

The diocese received allegations against two priests. Neither of them is still working in the diocese.

Clogher

The diocese was unable to answer a series of questions submitted by The Irish Times.

Clonfert

Allegations of abuse were made against two priests, one of whom was subsequently convicted of child abuse. Neither priest is still working in the diocese.

Cloyne

Allegations of sex abuse have been made against 11 priests over the last 20 years. One of these priests is currently in a restricted ministry, meaning that he is in the parish but is not involved with schools and is not allowed to interact with young people.

The case was brought to the attention of garda?, but they determined that it did not fall into the category of child abuse.This is because the person who made the allegation was not a minor at the time of the alleged abuse.

Cork & Ross

Twelve priests in the Cork diocese have had allegations made against them relating to events which allegedly occurred between 1975 and 1995. Four priests have been convicted in the courts.

Two priests against whom allegations have been made are still working in the diocese. Both of these cases were investigated by garda? and the men were cleared. The diocesan spokesman said one of them, to the best of his knowledge, had stood down during the investigation.

Derry

Twenty-six priests have been investigated for child sex abuse over the last 50 years. Nine of them are dead. Two were prosecuted and one was convicted. One priest facing a recent allegation of abuse has been given leave of absence from ministry.

Four priests had allegations made against them withdrawn. In three other cases the complainant would not identify the alleged offender and in another instance the priest involved was a victim of mistaken identity.

The diocese said that one priest stood down following a complaint. He was professionally assessed and found to pose no risk.

Another priest who made a settlement with a complainant is no longer in active ministry. Neither is another priest alleged to have abused outside Ireland.

Down & Connor

Three priests serving in the Diocese of Down and Connor against whom allegations have been made are still in ministry.

The diocese confirmed that one of them is still the subject of a police investigation relating to more than 20 years ago.The facts of the case have been considered by the diocese's independent child protection panel, which had advised the bishop that the priest could remain in ministry.

The diocese said that the other two cases were reported to the police and the priests stepped down. There were no prosecutions and the priests were returned to ministry after assessment.

A total of 15 priests serving in the diocese have been subject to accusations of child abuse dating back to the 1940s.

Dromore

In Dromore, which takes in Newry and Portadown, allegations of sexual abuse have been made against five priests "living and dead". A spokesman said that there was no priest in the diocese about whom there were concerns relating to child protection. The Irish Times was unable to establish from the diocese whether any priests against whom allegations had been made were still in active ministry and whether the allegations had been investigated by the police.

Dublin

Allegations have been made, or concerns raised, regarding 67 priests in the Dublin archdiocese. Some allegations date back to the 1940s. The figure includes cases where the allegations were found to be false, where the priest was wrongly identified or where the evidence proved inconclusive.

A spokeswoman for the archdiocese said that it was unable to provide a breakdown of the figures, or give details of how many priests had been suspended or how many who had been the subject of allegations were currently in ministry.

The archdiocese said that all allegations of abuse were discussed by the diocese's child protection service, the Garda and the Health Service Executive.

"If that group feels that the accused priest constitutes a risk to children, then the priest concerned is asked to stand aside immediately until the investigation is completed."

Elphin

The Bishop of Elphin, Dr Christopher Jones, said that 16 allegations of child abuse have been made against priests in the diocese.

He said that of these allegations there had been "reasonable suspicion" in relation to nine diocesan priests. Of the nine priests investigated, two are deceased and seven are out of ministry.

The diocese said that all allegations of child abuse had been reported to the health board and the Garda. Allegations in relation to three priests were referred to the Director of Public Prosecutions, but no prosecutions have taken place.

Ferns

The way church and State authorities handled abuse allegations against 21 priests were examined fully by the Ferns inquiry, which reported this week. None of these priests is still in active ministry. Five other priests currently in ministry have had allegations made against them. The view of an inter-agency group involving diocesan advisers, the health services and the Garda was that no child protection issues were involved.

Galway, Kilmacduagh & Kilfenora

Complaints were made against six diocesan priests and a diocesan spokesman said there may be "one or two" who remain in ministry.

"The reason would be because, after a thorough investigation, there was found to be no foundation to the allegations," he said.

However, he could not say for definite whether the investigation was conducted by the Garda, as he did not have this information to hand.

He pointed out that since 1996, and the publication of the church's framework document on the issue, all allegations received by the diocese had been referred to the Garda.

Kerry

Eleven allegations have been made against priests in the Kerry diocese going back over a 50-year period.

Four of these priests were dead, two were laicised at their own request and two were dismissed from the priesthood by the Pope in the last year and a half.

The Bishop of Kerry, Dr Bill Murphy, said: "I don't have any information that garda? and the Southern Health Board don't have. We have passed on everything".

Kildare & Leighlin

Allegations have been made against one priest. The diocese said that there were no priests currently in ministry against whom allegations had been made.

Killala

The Diocese of Killala received one anonymous allegation concerning a priest who had already died.

No other complaints have been made.

What the diocese describes as a "concern" expressed to the bishop was investigated by the Garda and dismissed.

Killaloe

A total of 25 complaints have been made against 10 priests, with the first incident complained of allegedly taking place in 1957. One priest is currently the subject of a Garda investigation relating to a period prior to his becoming a priest. This priest is currently outside the ministry. Once the diocese had been informed of the case by the Garda it asked him to step down.

A further "one or two" priests from religious orders, who are now deceased, had complaints made against them.

In these instances, the file would have been handed over directly to their religious order, according to a diocesan spokesman.

Kilmore

One priest against whom allegations of child sex abuse were made is still serving in the diocese after a Garda/health board investigation found there were no grounds for criminal proceedings. Five priests in the diocese, includingFather Brendan Smyth, have had allegations made against them. Three of the priests stepped down from ministry while the allegations were being investigated, while one had already left at the time of the allegation. Only one returned to active ministry following the investigation.

Two of the priests, including Father Smyth, are deceased. Father Smyth, who was attached to the Norbertine order, is the only priest in the diocese to have been convicted of child sexual abuse offences.

Limerick

Allegations have been made against 10 priests since 1960. Three are now deceased and one case is before the courts. The DPP has decided not to proceed with two other cases. There have been no convictions.

The diocese says no priest under investigation is in active ministry.

Meath

The diocese did not respond to queries submitted by The Irish Times. The Bishop of Meath, Dr Michael Smith, said on LMFM Radio during the week that one priest in the diocese had stood down when there were grounds for believing that there was substance to allegations made against him. He said that in another case a complainant withdrew an allegation against a priest.

Ossory

The diocese has not so far responded to questions from The Irish Times.

Raphoe

Allegations of child sexual abuse have been made against 10 priests in the Diocese of Raphoe dating back over 40 years.

Seven of these priests stood aside from ministry. One is still serving, but the diocese said that there were no reasonable suspicions that would give rise to a child protection question.

Tuam

In his statement this week, the Archbishop of Tuam, Dr Michael Neary, did not give details of the number of allegations of child sexual abuse which had been made against priests in his diocese. However, he said that "tragically there have been significant instances of such abuse".

He said that last year an independent review of all complaints received by the diocese found that they had been managed very well and in accordance with the norms and guidance applicable at the time.

Waterford & Lismore

Seven priests have had allegations made against them, all of which were reported to the civil authorities.

One priest is in a "limited ministry" in the diocese. This means that he is not in a public ministry and is not in contact with children. The allegations against this priest were reported to the Garda and investigated fully, with the priest stepping aside during this process, according to a diocesan spokesman.

Compiled by Martin Wall, John Downes, Kitty Holland and Ali Bracken


? The Irish Times


There have been 3 proper investigations since the above was produced: Ferns, Dublin and Cloyne. There should be a national investigation at this stage. At the very least Cork & Ross, Derry, Down & Connor, Elphin, Kerry, Killaloe, Kilmore (Fr. Brendan Smyth!), Raphoe and possibly Limerick (although the accused are all dead) should have investigations similar to the first 3, while Meath, Ossory & Tuam refused to provide the requested info for the above article to the Irish Times, which would warrant further examination imho.